24 Games for Windows is a great collection of 24 games for Windows 95, comprising some action/arcade games, some card games, and many board/puzzle games. The card games are nothing special: all 4 games are poker variants and typical solitaire games found in most solitaire collections, except "Vanishing Cross" which is a fun, lesser-known solitaire game. On the arcade front, the 5 games billed as "arcade" are actually reflexes-oriented puzzle games, such as "StackBlitz," a Tetris clone, and "Bulldozer," a fun Sokoban-style game. They are fun, but they are not original games by any stretch of the imagination. It is the 15 remaining games in the "strategy/puzzle" section that make this collection stand out above most similar titles. The games in this section range from the familiar (e.g. peg solitaire, here called "Pegopolis," cryptograms, reversi, othello (here called "Checker Collector") and a memory game) to the less familiar (e.g. nim, quinto, and wari), to downright original games. In the last category, games such as Winding Standoff, Voracity, Sechseck, Engulf, Core Meltdown, and Push-Pull are not only unique and original, but also a lot of fun to play. If you are a fan of abstract board/strategy games like myself, you will have a lot of fun playing any of these games. Put them together, and you have a wonderful collection that truly stands the test of time. All in all, a great bang-for-your-buck strategy/puzzle/action game collection that is just as good as Microsoft's various Entertainment Pack for Windows releases, although unfortunately far less known. Highly recommended, especially for its abstract games. Note: The games in this series are now included as part of COSMI's excellent Top 50 Blazing Games for Windows, which is on sale at budget price in many retailers. Check out this new version today! Reviewed by: Underdogs |